Ok, so - two of the things often in my bag is homemade elk jerky and dry pepperoni. (don't worry, I just found it after it seemed to have tragically expired from a 7 milimeter coronary occlusion). So a simple question for those of you in California...

Will I get away with putting it (vacsealed) in a mailed resupply package - or should I not tempt fate?

You probably want to check the US Dept. of Agriculture rules for importing foods. I'm not sure they allow homegrown dried meat (as opposed to commercially packaged). Maybe it's no big deal from Canada; I don't really know. I don't think you folks have any animal diseases that we don't have. I don't know if the USDA puts their cute little green-jacketed beagles to work on shipped items, but they are in evidence at a lot of airports. The one time I really got the third degree was coming back from Europe in 2001, when foot-and-mouth disease was raging over there. That was understandable!

California's thing is plant products, especially fruit. Again, from a supermarket, OK, but from orchard or home garden fruit trees, no. Again, I don't know about home-grown dehydrated fruit. I cross the border from Oregon quite a bit. I just tell them it's all from the supermarket, which it is. Also, the border inspection station on US 199 (Grants Pass, OR to Crescent City, CA) is closed over half the time when I go through, so they evidently aren't all that serious, even with the apple maggot problems up here in the PNW.

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May your trails be crooked, winding, lonesome, dangerous, leading to the most amazing view--E. Abbey

I can't offer any advice on crossing the border, and I think that is the gist of your question.

Can you mail your resupply once you get here? I would be shocked if you had problems doing that. I mail homemade items all the time through the post office. It has never been a problem. California is quite strict about fresh produce crossing its border though.

Ok, what did you bring to the Eagle Creek hike some years ago? If that got through, probably whatever you're taking to the JMT will go through. No guaranttes (especially from this ignorant granny), but it might be an indication. Monday my daughter, her husband and I, went back and forth between Oregon and California several times (including one road right on the state line) with no inspection at all--for whatever that info is worth.

_________________________
May your trails be crooked, winding, lonesome, dangerous, leading to the most amazing view--E. Abbey

The importation of fresh, dried or canned meats or meat products is generally not allowed from most foreign countries into the United States. This includes products that have been prepared with meat. However, currently pork and poultry, which has proof of origin, from Canada is enterable. Not all Ruminant material can enter however personal use amounts of bovine meat or foods containing bovine meat or meat products (e.g., beef, veal, bison) are allowed in passenger baggage and mail, no import permit or other documentation is required.

Whether a "personal use amount" is allowed would depend on the interpretation of the word "bovine" in regard to elk. The fact that it seems to include bison along with domestic cattle makes that interpretation less than obvious.

Ok, so - two of the things often in my bag is homemade elk jerky and dry pepperoni. (don't worry, I just found it after it seemed to have tragically expired from a 7 milimeter coronary occlusion). So a simple question for those of you in California...

Will I get away with putting it (vacsealed) in a mailed resupply package - or should I not tempt fate?